James Dean dies - Sep 30, 1955 - HISTORY.com James Dean dies Publisher A+E Networks On this day in 1955, movie star James Dean dies at age 24 in a car crash on a California highway. Dean was driving his Porsche 550 Spyder, nicknamed “Little Bastard,” headed to a car race in Salinas, California, with his mechanic Rolf Wuetherich, when they were involved in a head-on collision with a car driven by a 23-year-old college student named Donald Turnaspeed. Dean was taken to Paso Robles War Memorial Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 5:59 p.m. Wuetherich, who was thrown from the car, survived the accident and Turnaspeed escaped with minor injuries. No charges were ever filed against him. James Byron Dean was born February 8, 1931, in Marion, Indiana. He studied drama at the University of California, Los Angeles, before moving to New York City, where he appeared in plays and TV shows and took classes at the Actors Studio with legendary acting coach Lee Strasberg.

Dean rose to stardom in 1955 with his role as Cal Trask in East of Eden. He reportedly beat out Paul Newman for the part. Dean’s performance in the film, based on the John Steinbeck novel, earned him a posthumous Academy Award nomination for Best Actor. It was the first time in Oscar history that an actor was nominated after his death. The young actor’s next film was “Rebel Without a Cause,” also released in 1955, in which he played a rebellious teen named Jim Stark. The film, which co-starred Natalie Wood and Sal Mineo, turned Dean into the poster boy for disaffected youth and cool. Dean’s final film “Giant,” released in 1956 after his death, was an epic tale of a Texas cattle rancher and his family. Dean starred opposite Elizabeth Taylor and Rock Hudson and was nominated posthumously for a second Oscar for his performance as Jett Rink. Dean’s success as an actor enabled him to pursue his passion for racing cars and motorcycles. Despite his short life and brief acting career, he endures as a Hollywood icon.

He is buried at Park Cemetery in Fairmount, Indiana, where fans continue to flock to his grave every year. People also pay tribute to Dean at a memorial located near the accident site in Cholame, California. Fact Check We strive for accuracy and fairness. But if you see something that doesn't look right, contact us ! Get This Day In History every morning in your inbox! Paso Robles, CA James Dean Killed in Car Crash, Sept 1955 | GenDisasters ... Genealogy in Tragedy, Disasters, Fires, Floods Home » Paso Robles, CA James Dean Killed in Car Crash, Sept 1955 Paso Robles, CA James Dean Killed in Car Crash, Sept 1955 Famous Star James Dean Killed In Crash HOLLYWOOD, Oct. 1 -- (AP) -- Actor JAMES DEAN, the surly, brooding Caleb of the movie "East of Eden," was killed last night in a head-on highway crash of his German sports car near Paso Robles, Calif.

The 24-year-old actor, often compared to Marlon Brando, was driving to a road race in Salinas, the location site for the movie which catapulted him to stardom. DEAN, an enthusiastic amateur sports car racer, was the second young Hollywood leading man killed recently. ROBERT FRANCIS the "Willie Keith" of "The Caine Mutiny," died July 31 in a plane crash at Burbank, Calif. The California Highway Patrol said a car driven by DONALD TURNUPSEED, 23, of Tulare turned left off Highway 466 onto Highway 41 and collided almost head-on with DEAN'S Porsche Spyder. TURNUPSEED, a student at California Polytechnic College at San Luis Obispo suffered minor injuries. Ambulance driver PAUL MORENO said the Indiana-born actor was still alive when taken from the wreckage but died en route to the War Memorial Hospital in Paso Robles. DEAN suffered multiple fractures of both arms and internal injuries. DEAN'S mechanic, ROLPH WUETHERICH, 27, of Hollywood, was seriously injured. Warner Brothers had forbidden their young star to drive the car while working on a movie.

He had finished "Giant," the movie version of Edna Ferbar's novel only this week.] Oakland Tribune California 1955-10-01 -------- Longing to return to the "liberating prospects" of motor racing, Dean was scheduled to compete at a racing event in Salinas, California on September 30, 1955. Accompanying the actor to the occasion was stunt coordinator Bill Hickman, Collier's photographer Sanford Roth, and Rolf Wütherich, the German mechanic from the Porsche factory who maintained Dean's Porsche 550 Spyder "Little Bastard" car. Wütherich, who had encouraged Dean to drive the car from Los Angeles to Salinas to break it in, accompanied Dean in the Porsche. At 3:30 p.m., both Dean and Hickman, who were driving behind the Porsche, were ticketed for speeding. Continued Actor James Dean killed in car crash » Photos from the Vault Actor James Dean killed in car crash Categories: by David Middlecamp October 1, 1955 Telegram-Tribune documenting the death of James Dean in a car crash near Cholame.

A lot has changed since actor James Dean was killed in a collision at the highway intersection that now bears his name. Freeways were the exception, not the rule. Datelines for Dodger stories were BROOKLYN. Highway safety and automobile design have come a long way. It was the end of September and there were already 27 traffic deaths in the county. Another would fall the very next day. Now with crumple zones, seat belts, airbags, roll cages and other engineering improvements, accidents are more survivable then they were before. The intersection has been redesigned and moved since the accident and Highway 446 has been renamed 46. Another major change is the advent of celebrity news. If something like this happened today there would be news helicopters and satellite vans and cell phone video on the internet within a few hours of the accident. Dean would become a bigger celebrity after his death. According to IMDB his second film "Rebel Without a Cause" would open a month after his death. His third and final film "Giant" would be released just over a year later. The Telegram-Tribune gave this story more than the usual prominence for a fatal accident in that era.

It has the front page lead headline, however the accident at the far corner of the county on a Friday night, no reporter went out with a camera. Though it was front page news in both newspapers the Paso Robles newspaper had the visual advantage of publishing two days after the San Luis Obispo edition. They were able to access photos from the Highway Patrol and a Hollywood portrait of Dean in their coverage. Here is the coverage of the accident from the Telegram-Tribune's Saturday Oct. 1, 1955 edition: Movie Star James Dean Dies in Auto Crash James Dean, 24, whose meteoric rise to film stardom came in his first and only released picture, "East of Eden," was killed in an automobile collision in San Luis Obispo county last night. Dean died in an ambulance enroute to the Paso Robles war memorial hospital, the California highway patrol reported. The fatal collision occurred at the intersection of highway 446 and 41 near Cholame and 28 miles east of Paso Robles.

Dean was driving a $7,000 German-made Porsche sports car, accompanied by his mechanic, Rolf Weutherich, 29, who only recently came to this country from Germany. The other car was driven by Donald D. Turnupseed, 23, Tulare, a student at Cal Poly. Dean suffered a broken neck and numerous other injuries. His battered body was taken from the crashed car, but the mechanic was thrown from the vehicle upon impact. His injuries are serious. Turnupseed escaped with only slight injuries. According to the CHP, the Porsche was traveling west on 446 when the student's car attempted a left turn at the intersection and the collision occurred. Dean's father, Winton Dean a dental technician at the VA hospital in Los Angeles arrived at the Keuhl funeral home in Paso Robles early today to complete the funeral arrangements for his son. It was announced that services would be held at the Hunt mortuary, Fairmont, Ind. at 2 p.m. on Saturday Oct. 8. ______ Paso Robles Press October 3, 1955 coverage of weekend accidents including James Dean's fatal accident. HOLLYWOOD, Oct.

1 (UP) — Speed loving James Dean, Hollywood's latest bobby sox idol was killed last night in a head-on collision of his $7,000 German sports car and another automobile. Dean, 24, was driving from Hollywood to a road race in northern California at the time of his death on a darkening highway 28 miles east of Paso Robles. A car driven by Donald Turnupseed of Tulare, Calif, a 23-year-old Cal Poly student, turned left in front of Dean's light aluminum Porche Spyder and the two automobiles crashed head on. Dean died instantly. His body was battered and there were numerous broken bones and cuts. The low slung little Porche skidded more than 100 feet from the point of impact before it stopped. Mechanic Hurt Dean's passenger, Rolf Weutherich, 29, a mechanic from a sports car garage in Hollywood, suffered a broken leg and fractured jaw but was in good condition at Paso Robles Memorial hospital. Turnupseed escaped with a bruised nose. Dean's father Winton S.

Dean, a dental technician at Sawtelle veterans hospital here, traveled today to Paso Robles, midway between here and San Francisco to return the body to Los Angeles for the funeral. Young Dean's hobby of driving Porsche sports cars in road races was well-known in the cinema industry and a cause for worry among his employers, Warner studio. But the tousel-haired actor always insisted "It's not driving the races that is dangerous, but driving on highways and streets with those ordinary drivers." True to his fear, he met death not in the week-end race he entered in Salinas, but on the highway. Dean had only last week finished work on "Giant" one of the top pictures of the year. His co-stars, Elizabeth Taylor and Rock Hudson and director George Stevens heard the news as they watched the day's "rushes" in a projection room at Warner studio. "We all sat there, just stunned," said Stevens. "It is a great tragedy. A boy cut off at the beginning.

He had extraordinary talent." Great Future Miss Taylor wept that " I am so shocked I can't say anything." Hudson called Dean a "faultless brilliant actor." Miss Taylor's husband Michael Wilding said, "Dean would have been the greatest actor of them all if he had lived." Dean was born Feb. 8, 1931 in Marion, Ind. son of Winton and the late Mildred Dean. He attended high school in Indiana and studied at Santa Monica, Calif. junior college and UCLA drama school. Three years ago he tried an acting career in New York and won immediate success on such dramatic TV shows as Philco playhouse and Kraft TV theater. He became an established star on Broadway in "See the Jaguar" and "The Immoralist." Director Ella Kazan tapped Dean for "East of Eden" in Hollywood. Dean took over where Marlon Brando left off in becoming the town's most colorful character. he whizzed about town in a motorcycle and wore blue jeans and T-shirts. He was often moody and shy. He dated such young beauties as Ursula Andrs, Lili Kardell and Jeanette Miller.

Sharp eyed readers will note that the ambulance carrying Dean and Weutherich to the hospital was also involved in an accident. That story was also on the Telegram-Tribune's front page. Related posts: Ten actors who died in their 20s. - Google Groups Ten actors who died in their 20s. Showing 1-58 of 58 messages Ten Hollywood actors, like Heath Ledger, who died in their 20s. - James Dean, 24, died on September 30, 1955, after a car crash on a highway near Paso Robles, California. - Sharon Tate, 26, was murdered on August 9, 1969, by followers of Charles Manson in Los Angeles. - Freddie Prinze, 22, died on January 29, 1977, after shooting himself in Los Angeles. - Jon-Erik Hexum, 26, died on October 18, 1984, after accidentally shooting himself with a prop gun in Los Angeles.

- Rebecca Schaeffer, 21, was murdered on July 18, 1989, by stalker Robert John Bardo in Los Angeles. - Brandon Lee, 28, died on March 31, 1993, after accidentally being shot on the set of The Crow in Wilmington, North Carolina. - River Phoenix, 23, died on October 31, 1993, from a drug overdose outside a nightclub in Los Angeles. - David Strickland, 29, died on March 22, 1999, after hanging himself in a hotel room in Las Vegas. - Jonathan Brandis, 27, died on November 12, 2003, from injuries he suffered after hanging himself in Los Angeles. - Brad Renfro, 25, died on January 15, 2008, the day after reportedly spending an evening drinking with friends. AP > - Jon-Erik Hexum, 26, died on October 18, 1984, after accidentally > shooting himself with a prop gun in Los Angeles.

Brandon Lee, 28, accidental gunshot wound from prop revolver, March 31, 1993. Oh, sorry, completely missed him on your list. I was so stunned to find a similar death there. D'oh! Dominique Dunne, 23, died on November 4th, 1982, murdered by her boyfriend. "Ponty" < Sacred...@aol.com > wrote in message news:90edf4da-eb31-4ba5-a386-df52da9380fa@l1g2000hsa.googlegroups.com... Aaliyah, 22, died at age 22 in a plane crash Our Gang's Norman Chaney died at age 22 Dorothy Stratten, 20, died August 14, 1980, murdered by her estranged husband. And an even younger one: William "Froggy" Laughlin, 16, died August 31, 1948, hit by a truck.

....r "R H Draney" < dado...@spamcop.net > wrote in message news:fn8piq01r9n@drn.newsguy.com... The little girl from Poltergeist (Heather O'Rourke) who died of an intestinal defect at age 13. "Kris Baker" < kris....@prodigy.net > wrote in message > The little girl from Poltergeist (Heather O'Rourke) who died of an > intestinal defect at age 13. Well, if you're going for under 20, add Anissa Jones of Family Affair. : "R H Draney" < dado...@spamcop.net > wrote in message : My "Four Dead Lives..." lists don't include those whose fame came from child endeavors,else I'd include Samantha Smith (1972-85). I note that these lists have not included Justin Pierce...or long-ago stars like Martha Mansfield (1899-1923,costume caught fire from a tossed cigarette butt). The World Trade Center towers MUST rise again, at least as tall as before...or terror has triumphed.

On Jan 23, 9:43 pm, Louis Epstein < l...@main.put.com > wrote: > I note that these lists have not included Justin Pierce...or long-ago > stars like Martha Mansfield (1899-1923,costume caught fire from a tossed > cigarette butt). To be honest, I had never heard of Justin Pierce before you mentioned him on the other thread. Comparing his fame to that of Heath Ledger seemed to me to be similar to comparing the fame of the guy who owns the Muffler King down the road to that of Queen Elizabeth II - they were that immensely, immensely disparate. In fact, even after googling him I'd still put his fame quotient at about one-tenth that of Pablo Santos, whom I mentioned in the other thread as well. wd43 Robert Francis, 25, died on July 31, 1955; his plane crashed shortly after takeoff from Burbank Airport. (He played Ensign Keith in The Caine Mutiny). > Dominique Dunne, 23, died on November 4th, 1982, murdered by her > boyfriend.

On Jan 24, 3:48 am, FragileWarrior <FragileWarr...@floonsMustDie.com> wrote: > > Dominique Dunne, 23, died on November 4th, 1982, murdered by her > > boyfriend. > He was a stalker. She never met him before that day, IIRC. Not the case. Dominique Dunne and her eventual killer had dated and she even lived with him for a short while. When she escaped his abuse, he went after her and strangled her. You may be thinking of Rebecca Shaeffer, who was murdered by a stalker she had never met. One actor who died young whom almost no one remembers is Matthew Garber, the cute kid from Mary Poppins and Thomasina. He was about 21, died in 1977, and died from haemorrhagic necrotising pancreatitis, apparently caused by alcohol and drug abuse. His co-star from those movies Karen Dotrice has said he died from drug abuse. Laurie D. T. Mann And then there's Josh Ryan Evans who played "Timmy", a living doll, on Passions.

1982-2002. He died of complications after heart surgery, iirc. "FragileWarrior" <FragileWarrior@floonsMustDie.com> wrote in message news:fn9qea$bq0$4@blackhelicopter.databasix.com... They lived together for a brief period. He was abusive and was asked to leave IIRC. Then he engaged in his stalking behaviour. I've heard/read Domenick Dunne (father) discuss this sad episode several times. - nilita In the previous article, Ponty < Sacred...@aol.com > wrote: > Ten Hollywood actors, like Heath Ledger, who died in their 20s. Can't believe no one's mentioned Tupac! Shot dead at 25. And am I the only one who remembers Edie Sedgwick? -- _+_ From the catapult of |If anyone disagrees with any statement I make, I _|70|___:)=}- J.D. Baldwin |am quite prepared not only to retract it, but also \ / bal...@panix.com |to deny under oath that I ever made it. -T. Lehrer ***~~~~----------------------------------------------------------------------- "J.D.

Baldwin" <INVALID_SEE_SIG@example.com.invalid> wrote in message news:fna7m7$fs6$1@reader2.panix.com... > In the previous article, Ponty < Sacred...@aol.com > wrote: >> Ten Hollywood actors, like Heath Ledger, who died in their 20s. > > Can't believe no one's mentioned Tupac! Shot dead at 25. > > And am I the only one who remembers Edie Sedgwick? > -- I *loved* the 1982 book "Edie" by Jean Stein. - nilita On Jan 23, 3:54 pm, Ponty < Sacredcowb...@aol.com > wrote: I guess Ledger is the third youngest Oscar nominated actor to die (Phoenix, Dean). Also could be considered second youngest since Dean did not receive his acting nominations (1955 AND 1956) until after he died. To add some names on the distaff side, there was Jean Harlow at 26 of uremic poisoning Susan Peters at 31 of the aftereffects of a gunshot to the spine years before.

and perhaps saddest of all, Suzan Ball at 21. of cancer, after haiving a leg amputated for the tumors she suffered. On Jan 24, 10:44 am, "mack" < macke...@dslextreme.com > wrote: > To add some names on the distaff side, there was > > Suzan Ball at 21. of cancer, after haiving a leg amputated for the tumors > she suffered. At the time of her death, she was married to Richard Long, who himself would die young (at 47, so slightly OT for this thread). He would later marry actress/early Playboy model Mara Corday news:2ab124e4-a9d4-409c-b32c-428120f69773@e6g2000prf.googlegroups.com...>later marry actress/early Playboy model Mara Corday. > ********************* Richard Long ... ahh ... "Jarrod Barkley" of THE BIG VALLEY. I had a major crush on him when I was a young girl.

And Suzan Ball was a distant cousin of Lucille Ball. Most of the names on these lists consist of actors and actresses who died, if not as the victims of a crime, then some sudden event involving substance abuse or a tragic accident. But if one were to check the lists of actors in their 20s who died between 1983 and about 1995 from AIDS, it would probably be nearly as long as these entire lists combined. Hmm, looks like someone just found this page ( wiki/Category:Actors_who_died_in_their_20s ) and decided to just list everyone on there. ;) "J.D. Baldwin" <INVALID_SEE_SIG@example.com.invalid> wrote in message > In the previous article, Ponty < Sacred...@aol.com > wrote: >> Ten Hollywood actors, like Heath Ledger, who died in their 20s. > Can't believe no one's mentioned Tupac! Shot dead at 25. Was he considered a Hollywood actor? > And am I the only one who remembers Edie Sedgwick? IMO, she's pretty much only remembered for dying.

"cat" < catsand...@nospammeowmeow.com > wrote in message news:emamj.31428$R92.6651@newsfe16.phx... > "J.D. Baldwin" <INVALID_SEE_SIG@example.com.invalid> wrote in message > >> In the previous article, Ponty < Sacred...@aol.com > wrote: > >>> Ten Hollywood actors, like Heath Ledger, who died in their 20s. > >> Can't believe no one's mentioned Tupac! Shot dead at 25. > > Was he considered a Hollywood actor? He appeared in at least one film....and got great reviews. > On Jan 24, 4:15 pm, MDB11...@hotmail.com wrote: > Most of the names on these lists consist of actors and actresses who > died, if not as the victims of a crime, then some sudden event > involving substance abuse or a tragic accident.

> But if one were to check the lists of actors in their 20s who died > between 1983 and about 1995 from AIDS, it would probably be nearly as > long as these entire lists combined. Well, an awful lot of actors who died from AIDS who were famous were well over 30: Peter Allen (Composer/singer) -- Dead. AIDS. Died June 18, 1992. Born February 10, 1944 Amanda Blake (actress) -- Dead. AIDS/cancer. Died August 16, 1989. Born February 20, 1931 Brad Davis (actor) -- Dead. AIDS. Died August 8, 1991. Born November 6, 1949 Denholm Elliott (actor) -- Dead. AIDS. Died October 6, 1992. Born May 31, 1922. Wayland Flowers (ventriloquist) -- Dead. AIDS. Died October 11, 1988. Born November 26, 1939.

Kevin Peter Hall (actor) -- Dead. AIDS. Died April 10, 1991. Born May 9, 1955 John Holmes (actor in a horizontal market) -- Dead. AIDS. Died March 13, 1988. Born August 8, 1944. Rock Hudson (actor) -- Dead. AIDS. Died October 2, 1985. Born November 17, 1925. Richard Hunt (puppeteer) -- Dead. AIDS. Died January 7, 1992. Born August 16, 1951. Michael Jeter (actor) -- Dead. Unclear, possibly AIDS-related. Died March 30, 2003. Born August 26, 1952. Lance Loud (actor/early "reality show" star) -- Dead. AIDS/hepatitis. Died December 22, 2001. Born June 26, 1951. Anthony Perkins (actor) -- Dead. AIDS.

Died September 12, 1992. Born April 4, 1932. Dack Rambo (actor) -- Dead. AIDS. Died March 21, 1994. Born November 13, 1941 Gene Anthony Ray (dancer/actor) -- Dead. Stroke/AIDS. Died November 14, 2003. Born May 24, 1962 Robert Reed (actor) -- Dead. AIDS. Died May 12, 1992. Born October 19, 1932 Ray Sharkey (actor) -- Dead. AIDS. Died June 11, 1993. Born November 14, 1952. Stephen Stucker (actor) -- Dead. AIDS. Died April 13, 1986. Born July 2, 1949 The only actor I have in Dead People Server who was under 30 who died of AIDS was Merritt Butrick (actor) -- Dead. AIDS. Died March 17, 1989.

Born September 3, 1959. On Thu, 24 Jan 2008 13:15:05 -0800 (PST), MDB1...@hotmail.com wrote: >But if one were to check the lists of actors in their 20s who died >between 1983 and about 1995 from AIDS, it would probably be nearly as >long as these entire lists combined. Timothy Patrick Murphy ("Dallas"), 29 (d. 1988), AIDS Although not as young (but mainly still "youngish"), other "Dallas" actors who died of AIDS or AIDS-related illness include: Dack Rambo, 52 (d. 1994) "Jack Ewing" Tom Fuccello, 56 (d. 1993) "Senator Dave Culver" Ben Piazza, 57 (d. 1991) "Walt Driscoll" .

---- Posted via Pronews.com - Premium Corporate Usenet News Provider ---- offers corporate packages that have access to 100,000+ newsgroups >> On Jan 24, 4:15 pm, MDB11...@hotmail.com wrote: >> Most of the names on these lists consist of actors and actresses who >> died, if not as the victims of a crime, then some sudden event >> involving substance abuse or a tragic accident. >> But if one were to check the lists of actors in their 20s who died >> between 1983 and about 1995 from AIDS, it would probably be nearly as >> long as these entire lists combined. > >Well, an awful lot of actors who died from AIDS who were famous were >well over 30: I'd add Liberace to that list. -- "It's not that I'm afraid to die. I just don't want to be there when it happens." - Woody Allen ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Wax-up and drop-in of Surfing's Golden Years: < > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Someone mentioned actor Richard Long of 'The Big Valley' in a previous post.

When that series ended, he starred in a series called "Nanny And The Professor", circa 1970-'73, I believe. Actress Juliett Mills portrayed the nanny to Long's characters' three children. Probably inspired by 'Mary Poppins', IIRC - I was about 10 when that series started. I remember reading about an apparent sucide of the actor who played one of the sons. This was about a decade after the series ended, so he probably would have been in his 20s by then. And sadly, didn't the kid who played Don Defore's/Whitney Blake's son on 'Hazel', die in an auto accident? It wasn't Brandon DeWilde, but there were similarities, as both were blonde, in their early 20s, and both lost their lives in auto accidents about the same time (early '70s). : When that series ended, he starred in a series called "Nanny And The : Professor", circa 1970-'73, I believe. Actress Juliett Mills portrayed : the nanny to Long's characters' three children.

Probably inspired by : 'Mary Poppins', IIRC - I was about 10 when that series started. I : remember reading about an apparent sucide of the actor who played one : of the sons. This was about a decade after the series ended, so he : probably would have been in his 20s by then. : : And sadly, didn't the kid who played Don Defore's/Whitney Blake's son : on 'Hazel', die in an auto accident? : It wasn't Brandon DeWilde, but there were similarities, as both were : blonde, in their early 20s, and both lost their lives in auto : accidents about the same time (early '70s). Now that you mention it,I need to check DeWilde's adult credits to make sure I shouldn't drop him for having only a child career (the reason I don't include Matthew Garber). :> -=-=- :> The World Trade Center towers MUST rise again, :> at least as tall as before...or terror has triumphed.

September 30, 1955 : James Dean dies Introduction On this day in 1955, movie star James Dean dies at age 24 in a car crash on a California highway. Dean was driving his Porsche 550 Spyder, nicknamed “Little Bastard,” headed to a car race in Salinas, California, with his mechanic Rolf Wuetherich, when they were involved in a head-on collision with a car driven by a 23-year-old college student named Donald Turnaspeed. Dean was taken to Paso Robles War Memorial Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 5:59 p.m. Wuetherich, who was thrown from the car, survived the accident and Turnaspeed escaped with minor injuries. No charges were ever filed against him. James Byron Dean was born February 8, 1931, in Marion, Indiana. He studied drama at the University of California, Los Angeles, before moving to New York City, where he appeared in plays and TV shows and took classes at the Actors Studio with legendary acting coach Lee Strasberg. Dean rose to stardom in 1955 with his role as Cal Trask in East of Eden.

He reportedly beat out Paul Newman for the part. Dean’s performance in the film, based on the John Steinbeck novel, earned him a posthumous Academy Award nomination for Best Actor. It was the first time in Oscar history that an actor was nominated after his death. The young actor’s next film was “Rebel Without a Cause,” also released in 1955, in which he played a rebellious teen named Jim Stark. The film, which co-starred Natalie Wood and Sal Mineo, turned Dean into the poster boy for disaffected youth and cool. Dean’s final film “Giant,” released in 1956 after his death, was an epic tale of a Texas cattle rancher and his family. Dean starred opposite Elizabeth Taylor and Rock Hudson and was nominated posthumously for a second Oscar for his performance as Jett Rink. Dean’s success as an actor enabled him to pursue his passion for racing cars and motorcycles. Despite his short life and brief acting career, he endures as a Hollywood icon. He is buried at Park Cemetery in Fairmount, Indiana, where fans continue to flock to his grave every year. People also pay tribute to Dean at a memorial located near the accident site in Cholame, California.

Article Details: September 30, 1955 : James Dean dies Author September 30, 1955 : James Dean dies URL James Dean Dies in Car Accident | World History Project Sep 30 1955 James Dean Dies in Car Accident On September 30, 1955, Dean and his Porsche factory-trained mechanic, Rolf Wütherich were at Competition Motors in Hollywood preparing Dean’s new Porsche 550 Spyder for the weekend sports car races at Salinas, California. Dean originally intended to trailer the Porsche to Salinas, behind his 1955 Ford Country Squire station wagon, driven by friend and movie stunt man Bill Hickman and accompanied by professional photographer Sanford H. Roth who was planning a photo story of Dean at the races for Colliers Magazine. Because the Porsche didn’t have enough ‘break-in’ miles prior to the race, Wütherich recommended that Dean drive the Spyder to Salinas to get more ‘seat time’ behind the wheel.

The group had coffee and donuts at the Hollywood Ranch Market on Vine Street across from Competition Motors (not the legendary Farmer’s Market at W 3rd St & S Fairfax Ave as previously reported) before leaving around 1:15 p.m. PST. They stopped at the Mobil station for gasoline on Ventura Blvd. at Beverly Glen Blvd. in Sherman Oaks around 2:00 p.m. The group then headed north on CA Route 99 and then over the ‘Grapevine’ toward Bakersfield. At 3:30 p.m., Dean was stopped by California Highway Patrolman O.V. Hunter at Mettler Station on Wheeler Ridge, just south of Bakersfield, for driving 65 mph (105 km/h) in a 55 mph (89 km/h) zone. Hickman, following behind the Spyder in the Ford with the trailer, was also ticketed for driving 20 mph (32 km/h) over the limit, as the speed limit for all vehicles towing a trailer was 45 mph (72 km/h).

After receiving the speeding citations, Dean and Hickman turned left onto Route 166/33 to avoid going through Bakersfield’s slow 25 mph downtown district. Route 166/33 was a known short-cut for all the sports car drivers going to Salinas, called ‘the racer’s road,’ which took them directly to Blackwells Corner at CA Route 466 (later SR 46). At Blackwells Corner, Dean stopped briefly only for refreshments and met up with fellow racers Lance Reventlow and Bruce Kessler, who were also on their way to the Salinas road races in Reventlow’s Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Coupe. As Reventlow and Kessler were leaving, they all agreed to meet for dinner in Paso Robles. At approximately 5:15 p.m., Dean and Hickman left Blackwells Corner driving west on Route 466 toward Paso Robles, approximately sixty miles away. Dean accelerated in the Porsche and left the Ford station wagon far behind.

Further along on Route 466, the Porsche crested Polonio Pass and headed down the long Antelope Grade, passing cars along the way toward the junction floor at Route 466 and 41. Dean spotted a black-and-white 1950 Ford Custom coupe, driving at a high speed heading east on Rt. 466 toward the junction. The time was approximately 5:45 p.m., PST. Its driver, 23-year-old Cal Poly student Donald Turnupseed, suddenly turned in front of the Porsche to take the left fork onto Route 41. Turnupseed then hesitated as he 'spiked' the brakes just as the Ford crossed over the center line. Dean saw an impending crash and apparently tried to 'power steer' the Spyder in a 'side stepping' racing maneuver, but there wasn't enough time or space as the two cars crashed almost head-on. The Spyder flipped up into the air and landed back on its wheels off in a gully, northwest of the junction. The sheer velocity of the impact sent the much-heavier Ford broad-sliding thirty-nine feet down Route 466 in the westbound lane.

According to a story in the October 1, 2005, edition of the Los Angeles Times, California Highway Patrol Captain Ernest Tripke and his partner, Corporal Ronald Nelson, had been finishing a coffee break in Paso Robles when they were called to the scene of the accident at the Route 466/41 junction. Before Officers Tripke and Nelson arrived, James Dean had been extricated from the Spyder's mangled cockpit, his left foot had been crushed between the clutch and brake pedal. Dean was severely injured as he took the brunt of the crash with a broken neck and several internal and external injuries. Nelson witnessed an unconscious and dying Dean being placed into an ambulance; and a barely conscious Wütherich, who had been thrown from the Spyder, was lying on the shoulder of the road next to the wrecked Porsche. Dean and Wütherich were taken in the same ambulance to the Paso Robles War Memorial Hospital, 28 miles away. Dean was pronounced dead on arrival at 6:20 p.m. PST by the attending emergency room physician, Robert Bossert.

Junction of state highways 46 (former 466) and 41 as it looked in 2007 Wütherich survived with a broken jaw and serious hip and femur injuries that required immediate surgery. Turnupseed was only slightly injured with facial bruises and a bloodied nose. After being interviewed by the CHP, Turnupseed hitch-hiked in the dark to his home in Tulare. Hickman and Roth arrived at the accident scene approximately ten minutes after the crash. Hickman assisted in extricating Dean from the wreckage. Roth took photographs of the accident scene, which are now owned by Seita Ohnishi, a retired Kobe, Japan businessman. Ohnishi, in 1977, designed and erected a stainless steel memorial in tribute to James Dean at Cholame, just a mile west of the accident site. Some sources give Dean's last known words—uttered right before the impact when Wütherich told Dean to slow down when they both saw the Ford Custom coupe about to pull into their lane—as "That guy's gotta stop...

He'll see us." James Dean historian Lee Raskin believes that this is pure conjecture about Wütherich saying anything to Dean, or Dean saying anything to Wütherich prior to the crash. According to the Coroner's deposition taken of Wütherich in the hospital, and later in a 1960 interview given to an official Porsche magazine, Christophorus, he couldn't recall any of the exact moments leading up to and after the crash. At the Official Coroner’s Inquest, held at the San Luis Obispo Court House on October 11, 1955, Turnupseed told the jury that he did not see the low-profile Porsche until after he was turning left onto Route 41. After other testimony by the CHP, and witnesses to the accident, the coroner's jury retired to deliberate. It came back with a verdict of "accidental death with no criminal intent" finding Donald Turnupseed not guilty of any contributory wrongdoing in the death of James Dean. The deceased Dean was also found not guilty of any criminal intent or contributory wrongdoing for the accident.

Although not charged with (what could have been) vehicular manslaughter, Turnupseed had nevertheless been dealt a devastating blow that would haunt him for the rest of his life. "Not only was he involved in an accident that resulted in one man's death, but it was a death that will never be forgotten, a death whose reverberations are still being felt all over the world." Turnupseed granted just one interview to the Tulare Advance-Register newspaper immediately following the crash, but after that he refused to speak publicly about the accident. Turnupseed went on to own and operate a very successful family electrical contracting business in Tulare. He died at the age of 63 from lung cancer in 1995. Wütherich, after having several complicated surgeries on his hip and femur, went back to West Germany in 1957 with psychological and legal problems. He worked with the Porsche Factory's testing department and international rally and racing teams during the 1960s. Wütherich was one of the first employees of Porsche and worked for the factory eighteen years before being terminated.

He died in July 1981, in Kupferzell, West Germany, in another auto accident when he lost control of his car and crashed into a residence. Like James Dean in the previous crash, Rolf Wütherich had to be extricated from the wreck and died at the accident scene. He was 53 years old. There is an ironic epilogue to James Dean's fatal crash in 1955: while filming Giant, Dean also filmed a short Public Service Announcement (PSA) with actor Gig Young for the National Safety Council. It featured James Dean dressed as the young Jett Rink talking about how driving fast on the highway can be more dangerous than racing on the track. It ends with Dean, instead of saying the popular phrase "The life you save may be your own" he humorously ad-libbed, "The life you might save might be mine." This legendary black and white PSA, released following Dean's death, can now be viewed on YouTube. September 30 – “Cool” — Wine Word of the Day Right click to download MP3 file.

On this day in 1955, celebrated actor James Dean died in a car crash just outside of Paso Robles wine country on Highway 46. After only three films, including Giant and Rebel Without A Cause, Dean was considered one of the greatest actors of his generation. His untimely death at the age of 24, catapulted him into cultural icon status, where he remains to this day. Which brings us to our Wine Word of the Day: Cool How cool is your wine? And when I say cool, I mean there is wine storage cool and wine serving cool. For storage, you can’t go wrong storing the wine at 55 degrees. That’s what most wineries strive for in their barrel rooms for long term aging. By keeping the wine at this temp you’ll be most closely mimicking the ideal conditions. If you can’t keep it at that temperature, try to find a place in the house where the temperature doesn’t fluctuate dramatically. Basements are best, but here in California, we might have to settle for a hall closet. Usually, the middle of the house has the smallest temperature swings…and perhaps your bother-in-law won’t think to look there when he’s trying to raid your stash.

But what temperature should you serve the wine? I will tell you this: most people drink white wines too cold and red wines too warm. The colder the wine, the less you can smell it. So, if it’s a cheap bottle of white, by all means drink it straight out of the refrigerator. But more complex white wines like Viognier and oaked Chardonnays are best served around 50 to even 60 degrees F. in order to fully appreciate their delicate aromas. I know they say, “serve reds at room temperature” but the adage goes back to cellar rooms in old European castles, not family rooms in Bakersfield in August. Stronger, more complex reds are best served in the 60-65 degree range, and the lighter reds (such as Pinot Noir) could be served even cooler.

But never as cool as James Dean… Curse of the James Dean Car: turnupseed obits TURNUPSEED, DONALD G., Age: 63 Turnupseed, 2nd driver in James Dean crash, dies at 63 Tularean built family electric business as he resisted publicity for 40 years Donald Turnupseed, the Tulare man who quietly built a family business and endeavored to maintain his privacy after being involved in the car accident that killed actor James Dean four decades ago, has died at age 63. Requests for interviews about the Sept. 30, 1955, crash came from around the world and served as a constant annoyance to Turnupseed. "That's something that bothered him his whole life. That's not Donald Turnupseed," said Wally Nelson, president of Turnupseed Electric in Tulare. As this year's 40th anniversary of the crash approached, requests for interviews continued. A German journalist was the last the call, Nelson said. "He's been bothered by people constantly trying to write a story." Nelson said. "There's always somebody calling up or coming to the door.

We had to push them out the door." Although he has refused interviews for decades, Turnupseed did speak with the Tulare Advance Register hours after the crash. It occurred when he pulled his 1950 Ford from Highway 46 onto Highway 41 near Cholame. Turnupseed's car was struck by a speeding silver grey Porsche Spyder driven by Dean, who at 24 was the star of three major films. "I didn't see him coming," Turnupseed said. Turnupseed was coming home to Tulare from Cal Poly State University, San Luis Obispo, where he was a student. Dean was in route to a race in Salinas. His mechanic was a passenger. Dean, star of "East of Eden" and "Rebel Without a Cause" in 1955 and "Giant in 1956, died in an ambulance headed for a Paso Robles hospital. His mechanic, Rolf Wuetherich, was seriously injured but recovered. Wuetherich died in 1981 in a car crash in West Germany. On advise from la California Highway Patrol officer, Turnupseed hitch-hiked to Tulare after the crash.

He was treated for a scraped nose and bruises at Tulare District Hospital. Extensive investigation of the accident never established guilt, said C.R. "Budgie" Sturgeon, a partner in Spuhler and Sturgeon Insurance, which had a policy on Turnupseed's Ford. "It was never established whose fault it was. It just died." Turnupseed's family declined to be interviewed for this story. With the aid of his late parents, Harley and Ruth Turnupseed, the Porterville native built an electrical contracting business with commercial clients across the San Joaquin Valley and the central coast. Customers include Kraft Foods, Haagen Dazs, US Cold Storage and California Milk Producers, among others. The 48-year old company which employs and average of 75 workers, has branch offices in Bakersfield and Fresno and annual sales of about $15 million. "They were tough competitors," said Al Paggi, owner of Paggi Electric. "As a business person, (Donald Turnupseed) learned from his dad. His dad was a very, very tough-minded person. But they never shorted anybody on their work." Unlike his father, Donald Turnupseed was likeable, but not outgoing, Paggi said.

"You could never get close to Don." The business owner was quiet even before the crash, Paggi said. The accident probably caused Turnupseed to be more private still, Paggi said. "More than likely," he said. Turnupseed developed a fondness for cars while a student at Tulare Union High School in the 1940s when he got a Model A, said Al Paggi, owner of Paggi Electric. "He turned it into a little race car." Paggi said. Years later, he built dune buggies, nelson said. "The last 10 years he didn't do that much," Nelson said. "The last 10 years he didn't do that much," Nelson said, "He devoted a lot of time to business. Business was his hobby." Turnupseed was an innovator, including selling clients on preventative maintenance programs, Nelson said. "They had a chance to fix it before down time." Turnupseed was president of the San Joaquin Valley chapter of National Electrical Contractors Association 1990-94. He handed control of his company to Nelson last year as his lung cancer progressed. But he kept close ties to the business, Nelson said.

He is survived by his wife, Mollie Turnupseed, Tulare; two sons, David and Donald Bruce Turnupseed, both of Tulare; one stepson, Rick Bradley, Coalinga; one daughter, Peggy Henson, Fresno; and five grandchildren. Visitation will be 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday at Miller's Tulare Funeral Home. Graveside services will be at 10 a.m. Monday in Tulare Cemetery. Remembrances may be sent to Hospice of Tulare County, 605 W. Willow Ave, Visalia, CA 93201. �from the Tulare Advanced Register, July 13/14, 1995 E-mail me to add to or change information found on this site or if you have information you would like to add! Ten actors who died in their 20s - Heath Ledger - Entertainment - smh.com.au Ten actors who died in their 20s Your Say: Heath Ledger's life and death Ten Hollywood actors, like Heath Ledger, who died in their 20s.

- James Dean, 24, died on September 30, 1955, after a car crash on a highway near Paso Robles, California. - Sharon Tate, 26, was murdered on August 9, 1969, by followers of Charles Manson in Los Angeles. - Freddie Prinze, 22, died on January 29, 1977, after shooting himself in Los Angeles. - Jon-Erik Hexum, 26, died on October 18, 1984, after accidentally shooting himself with a prop gun in Los Angeles. - Rebecca Schaeffer, 21, was murdered on July 18, 1989, by stalker Robert John Bardo in Los Angeles. - Brandon Lee, 28, died on March 31, 1993, after accidentally being shot on the set of The Crow in Wilmington, North Carolina. - River Phoenix, 23, died on October 31, 1993, from a drug overdose outside a nightclub in Los Angeles.

- David Strickland, 29, died on March 22, 1999, after hanging himself in a hotel room in Las Vegas. - Jonathan Brandis, 27, died on November 12, 2003, from injuries he suffered after hanging himself in Los Angeles. - Brad Renfro, 25, died on January 15, 2008, the day after reportedly spending an evening drinking with friends. AP

Question: Which actor died in a car crash near Paso Robles, California, on 30 September 1955?
Answer: JAMES DEAN